While the authorities of Azerbaijan accuse the international organizations of their “biased judgment” and application of “double standards”, the local, mostly opposition-oriented news outlets expose on a regular basis “disgraceful” facts that are at odds with the country’s image advertised by the authorities. The authors of such publications draw fire from state-controlled media, members of the parliament, researchers and non-governmental organizations which wage a war against dissidents using their familiar arsenal of techniques; they search and detect traces of Armenian involvement (lobby) or dig up Armenian roots in those who circulate these “disgraceful” facts or commit deeds blackwashing the country’s bright image.
It is no secret that Azerbaijanis at grass roots level live a hard life “in the richest country of the region”. The ubiquitous corruption, violations of human rights and freedom of speech, tyranny and persecution, the unresolved issue of “reclaiming Karabakh”, incessant and never materializing promises of war lead to some legitimate questions. Who is to blame?
The answer is always ready at hand; it is all about external enemies who are jealous of Azerbaijan’s prosperity and seek to discredit it. This “campaign against Azerbaijan” is invariably ascribed to ethnic Armenians who are the instigators, masterminds and guiding hands behind it. This holds true for inside and outside Azerbaijan.
Overall, the efforts of the authorities to play down their own guilt and to duck any responsibility can be conventionally divided into several categories:
– omnipotent Armenian lobby;
– the domestic population of overt or covert Armenians (the same “30,000 Armenians” who still live in Azerbaijan);
– Armenian lineage, spouses or business partners, etc.
According to the reports of the Azerbaijani press, persons attributable under the above categories can be classified by a number of characteristics.
In Azerbaijan:
– Persons who plague the ruling regime through their criticism, exposures or excessive zeal in their fight for human rights and freedom of speech.
The newspaper Yeni Azerbaijan accused the independent Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova of Armenian origin solely on the ground that she refused to speak about her kins. “Ismayilova never speaks about her kins and made no reaction to the allegations of the Xalq Cebhesi newspaper claiming that her grandmother is Armenian.222 Sources close to the newspaper have extensive data on this subject, and Khadija fears exposure. This is only a part of the shocking details about her, which we do not make public for ethical reasons. It is of note that certain persons who consider themselves Azerbaijanis still call Khadija “the epitome of journalism”, “the champion of moral values” and “the mouthpiece of justice and rights” speaking in her defense,” states the newspaper.223
As early as in 2009, the Baybak.com website reported that Khadija Ismayilova had refuted the allegations of Xalq Cebhesi newspaper about her Armenian grandmother, however, only the information agencies Turan and Yeni Musavat agreed to publish her rebuttal.
Seymur Bayjan, Azerbaijani writer: Starting from 2003, I began realizing that our mindset fouls up our lives. What people call the mentality is a downright torment. I started writing about it, but many did not understand me and still don’t. They call me Armenian, Jewish, Freemason, gay and spy.224
Ali Hasanov, a department head at the Presidential Administration: Don’t you think that those, who receive grants from the Armenian lobby and from the pro-Armenian circles and sling mud at our state from international platforms by depicting Armenians as oppressed and Azerbaijanis as savage brutes and telling foreigners who come to our country all kinds of falsehoods, justly deserve the scorn of the people?225
– Persons implicated in corruption scandals or failing to comply with their professional duties thereby inflicting damage to the area of their responsibility.
Fazail Agamali, Member of Parliament: “The mother of Ilgar Rahimov, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population, was a representative of a different nation, and even her funeral was organized in Christian rather than Muslim traditions and was accompanied by the playing of clarinet. I support Tagi Ahmedov. Strategical posts must be held by pure-blooded Azerbaijanis”, said the parliamentarian.226
Hafiz Hajiyev, leader of the political party Modern Musavat: Did you know that there are some people in power who have Armenian wives and mothers? It’s them who constitute the main threat to our country. Not so long ago, I saw one of such officials in a restaurant accompanied by a female singer. Their conduct was so outrageous that I was ashamed that Azerbaijan had such public officials.227
The former member of the parliament from the ruling party, Gular Ahmadova, who was caught dealing in parliamentary seats as the main protagonist of a scandal dubbed in the Azerbaijani press as Gulargate, is accused, among other things, of having an Armenian grandmother. Specifically, the Azerbaijani information agency Olaylar reported: “Another fact was revealed on the former Member of the Parliament Gular Ahmadova. Sources well-informed of Ahmadova’s pedigree report that her grandmother was Armenian. Although the ex-parliamentarian had changed all data in her grandmother’s paperwork, the fact was well known to her inner circle. The same source affirms that the incredulous may want to find the address of Ahmadova’s grandmother in the media dating back to 2002, which describes their relationships…”228
Interestingly, before Ahmadova fell from favor, she appeared in the list of “those with pure blood” and no one had the slightest idea of her Armenian roots, and what is more, she was a staunch advocate of the anti-Armenian campaign.
Baby vipers grow: I recall from the remote days of my childhood, as we played in the courtyard with Armenian children, my mother constantly warned me: baby vipers grow. And with age, I realized that indeed, baby vipers grow.229
– Persons who must be compromised to meet the needs of the day or out of personal motives.
“It is most likely that at this advanced age, he betrayed Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani people to serve a nation to which he belongs at genetic level”, said the deputy chairman of the Yeni Azerbaijan political party hinting at the Armenian origin of the writer Akram Aylisli.230
Hurriyyet.net published an exposing article to denounce the fact that Yaqub Eyyubov, First Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan became related with Armenians. “His niece in Kazakhstan married an Armenian. According to well-informed sources within power circles, a group of high-ranking Azerbaijani public officials attended the wedding, including Eyyubov himself. Azerbaijanis drank toasts to the relatives of the newlyweds and gave speeches on the “brotherhood between the peoples of Azerbaijan and Armenia”. <…> Note must be taken of the fact that Eyyubov is not a plain citizen; he holds a key position in the government of the country. In a time when the discussion over Ramil Safarov’s case still goes on, such close ties of a high-ranking official with Armenians give rise to serious moral and ethical problems for the authorities in the public mind. If we factor in the statement of the president at the meeting with Azerbaijani ambassadors to the effect that the Armenian lobby is Azerbaijan’s number one enemy, it can be safely affirmed that the situation looks highly unfavorable for Eyyubov”, says the website.231